Seth Gerson & Sarah Pinsky

Seth Gerson is Director of Government Relations at the National Board, advocating for federal policies that assist in recognizing and supporting the National Board’s vision of building a continuum in teaching to elevate the profession and using the skill and knowledge of accomplished teachers to advance student learning and school reform. Before joining the National Board in 2010, Gerson served as the Senior Education Policy Advisor for U. S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), during his time as a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In that capacity, he drafted and advanced legislation related to teacher and principal preparation, evaluation and development; college access and affordability; early childhood care and education; career and technical education; and national service.
Sarah Pinsky is a policy associate at the National Board. She supports the National Board’s state and federal policy efforts by analyzing federal and state legislation, writing policy memos and reports, and assisting the government relations team in organizing federal and state policy events. Previously, she worked at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), where she managed state and federal policy efforts on issues related to teacher preparation.

The last iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), aka No Child Left Behind (NCLB), was slated to be reauthorized in 2007. Everyone agrees that the law needs to be updated, and it seems like the time is ripe. At the beginning of the year, the Senate Education Committee indicated they would take up the reauthorization this year and held several hearings seeking input on the best way to change the law. In January, NBCTs Rachelle Moore and Stephen Lazar testified in two of these panels to discuss how federal funds can better support a teaching continuum and…